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Pazaphleft coU^^®* 


THE 


FREE LA^DS.. 


OF 


3 * SEP-31 
Copy~^— x3t>4 



■With a Description of the. • Country; the Climate; The 
Beautiful "Valley#, and. Ocean - Dihe 3?rairie^; 

The Crops; The Land Laws, and the 
Inducements offered to 
Immigrants. 


BY FRED. J. CROSS, 

Territorial Superintendent of Immigration, 


MLCS 82/5825 


e Board of Immigration. 


YANKTON, DAKOTA: 

BOWEN & KINGSBURY, PRINTERS, PRESS & DAIvOTAIAN OFFICE, 

XBT6, 


































82/5825 


Persons wishing information in regard to any particular 
county, will receive such information, promptly and free of 
charge, by addressing the agent of such county. A full list 
of county agents and their addresses may be found on the 
last page of this book. 

The Superintendent’s office is in room 60, Morrison’s block, 
adjoining tl 
erally be fo 
give all infc 
ters address 
charge. Ai 
respondents 
county, is i 
county, is a 
men in in t 

Pamphle* 
giving full 

on applicaf_ _ 

tion, Yankton, D. T., or any member of the Bureau or coun¬ 
ty agent. 


LIBRARY 

OF THE 

U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

Class _I_ 


IMMIGRANT HOUSES. 


Two immigrant houses have been built at Yankton, each 
24 feet wide by 100 feet long, one and a half stories high, sit¬ 
uated near the Dakota Southern railroad, where immigrants 
will be unloaded and will be provided with temporary quar¬ 
ters free. These houses are also near the Missouri river, 
where the best of water may be had. 







DAKOTA’S INVITATION. 


BY JOHN BRENNAN. 

f 


To the west of Minnesota, 

And beyond the silv’ry Sioux, 

Lies a country called Dakota, 

Where the skies are ever blue ; 

So, stranger, come and find a home, 

If fortune you pursue ; 

’Tis a glorious land of prairies grand, 

And the skies forever blue. 

It is not like Louisiana, 

Where*the Mississippi flows, 

And the tempting fruit banana 
In the kitchen garden flows ; 

’Tis a land of work, where beef and pork 
Around the farm house lie, 

And every plain abounds in grain, 

And the corn grows twelve feet high. 

It is not a mazy woodland, 

Where the civilizer crawls. 

But a level and a good land, 

With its streams and waterfalls ; 

Where Uncle Samuel gives a farm 
To every one who calls, 

A farm of land—of prairies grand, 

’Mid streams and waterfalls. 

Upon the plains the buffalo 
In countless herds abound ; 

And. in her rivers, fishes grow 

That weigh a hundred pounds ; 

From mountain snows Missouri flows, 

And when the spring-time smiles, 

Impelled by steam, boats ply the stream 
For twenty hundred miles. 

Here nature plies her fingers 

And portrays her brightest page, 

And the life of boyhood lingers 
In the bending form of age ; 

Here nature sends her healing winds 
Fell sickness to assuage ; 

’Tis a land of health—heaven’s choicest wealth 
And boyhood in old age. 

In Dakota there are mountains. 

(And they’re near Montana’s line), 

Where petroleum springs in fountains, 

And the hills are • t black ” with pine ; 

And oh ! ’tis there the pioneer 
His pouch with lucre fills ; 

Black, stern and bold, but rich in gold, 

Is the land of the “ Black Hills.” 

From the dreary steepes of Russia 
Come the hardy Mennonites, 

And here the sons of Prussia 

Seek new homes and equal rights ; 

And sons of France and Ireland 
With Scandinavian too, 

Live in this land of prairies grand, 

And the skies forever blue. 

So to your eastern hovel 

Bid farewell forevermore, 

Bring along your pick and shovel, 

And dig out the shining ore ; 

On willing heart and working hand 
Dame Fortune ever shines, 

So try your hand on prairie land; 

Or dig among the mines. 


























C- *«■ '■ A, 










DAKOTA. 



|^^JAKOTA TERRITORY is the most eastern Territory ; 
adjoins the States of Iowa and Minnesota on the east, 
and lying north of the State of Nebraska. Many per¬ 
sons, not acquainted with its location, without consulting a 
late map—and knowing it only as a Territory —locate it in 
the neighborhood of the Rooky Mountains, because all the 
Territories are in that region; and do not realize that there is 
a Territory containing 150,000 square miles or 96,000,000 
acres of as good, land as any of the States of the west can 
boast; and this, too, although a Territory, lying adjoining 
three of the great States of the west, and. in point of accessi¬ 
bility almost at the very door of Chicago, being only 36 hours 
travel by rail direct to Yankton, the Capital. The question 
will naturally arise in the mind of the observing reader : 
“ Why is such a good, country, and so easy of access, yet a 
Territory !” I will answer this question. Until the year 
1858, what is now Dakota, was unceded land, and belonged 
to the Sioux Indians. In that year the treaty mas made, and 
the Indians removed. In fact Dakota had no existence until 
the witer of 1860-61, for it was not organized as a Territory 
until that time, President Buchanan signing the bill on the 
2d day of March, 1861. This was just at the commencement 
of the rebellion, and during the continuation of the war, and 
for two years after its close, emigration was entirely stopped 
by the contiual drain that was made on the States to supply 
men for the army. Another great check to the settlement of 
Dakota was the Indian troubles which began in Minnesota 
and extended to northwestern Iowa and into Dakota, lasting 
through 1862 and 1863, when the main portion of the inhabi¬ 
tants, who had settled here, left the Territory, as it was im¬ 
possible for them to protect themselves. It was not until the 


6 


DAKOTA. 


year 1868 that Dakota had what might be termed an immi¬ 
gration ; although a few each year happened to come along, 
and being attracted by the superiority of the soil and climate, 
settled here. Another thing which has kept Dakota back in 
the matter of immigration, is the lack of railroads, never 
having had any large land grants to encourage companies 
to crowd lines of roads into the interior ahead of settlement, 
and to contribute money to advertise the country, and to or¬ 
ganize immigration schemes, involving the expenditure of 
thousands of dollars, beside which the greatest effort and ex¬ 
penditure which has been made by Dakota would not be en¬ 
titled to notice. With all these drawbacks Dakota prospers, 
and makes headway sure, if not so rapid ; and now numbers 
within its bounds about fifty or fifty five thousand contented 
and happy settlers. And now that its splendid soil, health¬ 
ful climate and advantages of compact settlement are becom¬ 
ing more widely known, it is being rapidly filled up with a 
good class of settlers ; wild prairies are being turned into 
productive farms ; good comfortable houses and barns are 
taking the place of the “ shanty ” and the straw stable ; wa¬ 
ter-powers are being looked after ; mills being built ; towns 
and villages springing up where all was a wild country a few 
months ago. All seems life and prosperity. Good, healthy, 
prosperous railroads are following up the settlement as fast 
as it is found profitable ; and it is evident Dakota has passed 
its “ dark days,” and its future is bright and prosperous.— 
Those who may be induced to cast their lot with us, will not 
have to suffer the inconveniences of a pioneer life, but will 
have the advantage of settling in a prosperous country where 
the settlements are not cut up and scattered by large land 
grants or speculators’ lands, and. where the people are not 
burdened by heavy debts incurred by bonding counties to 
give subsidies to railroads. Here the settler can have his 
choice of land, there being (except through the central part,) 
no reserved lands. He can here help to form the country, for 

“ The rudiments of Empire here 
Are plastic yet ancl warm ; 

The chaos of a mighty world 
Is rounding into form.” 


DAKOTA. 




7 


THE SURFACE OF THE COUNTRY. 

Along all the rivers and streams there is generally a level 
valley from one to twenty miles wide and in the Red River of 
the North the valley is forty miles wide. These valleys are 
a dark loam, three to four feet deep. Back from the streams 
the land rises eight to ten feet. Often the fise is so gradual 
that a person travels along and does not perceive it. This 
forms what is called “ table lands,” which is often almost a 
perfect level for miles, just having descent enough to give it 
a proper drainage. Generally though the “ table lands ” are 
beautiful rolling prairies, almost entirely free from gravel 
knolls, stone or boulders, though occasionally may be found 
a small section where there are boulders or a few gravelly 
points. The soil on the table lands is rich, and covered with 
a heavy growth of grass. Persons living among the moun¬ 
tains in the eastern states will hardly believe us, when we tell 
them that here in Dakota can be found thousands of farms 
of 160 acres each, every foot of which is level soil, and with* 
out a stone or gravel point. To make farms from these virgin 
prairies, they would go to work in May or June and break 
the land ; the next year put in their crop of wheat, oats or 
corn and they would have a farm on which they could go 
right along, raising one crop after the other for years without 
manuring ; although we do think that after the third or fourth 
crop is taken of it would be a good plan to manure slightly. 
Dakota has 96,000,000 acres of land ; is twenty times larger 
than the state of Massachusetts, and would make four states 
as large as Ohio. Two-thirds of this vast extent of country 
is the very best of farming land, capable of supporting 
a large population. The other one-third, with the excep¬ 
tion of a small part, is splendid grazing land, with grass 
enough for summer pasture, and bottoms where hay enough 
can be made to support an immense number of cattle, sheep 
and horses. 

RIVERS, LAKES, ETC. 

The rivers in the southern part of Dakota, are the Missouri 
which enters the territory near the northwest corner and runs 
diagonally across the territory, forming the southern boun¬ 
dary for a distance of about eighty-five miles, giving to this' 
territory an outlet to St. Louis and New Orleans south, and 


8 


DAKTOA. 


to the numerous forts, Indian agencies and Fort Benton in 
Montana, a distance of 1500 miles to the northwest. Large, 
first-class steamers make from three to four trips to Fort Ben¬ 
ton during the season, each one carrying three to four hun¬ 
dred tons of freight, beside a large number of passengers.— 
The Big Sioux, which rises in the central part of the territory 
near the eastern boundary, runs south forming the boundary 
line between Iowa and Dakota for the distance of seventy-two 
miles, and empties into the Missouri at the southeast corner 
of the territory. It is about two hundred miles long, has a 
great many tributaries flowing from the east and west, which 
are the outlets of lakes. It has considerable fall, furnishing 
a large number of as good water powers as can be found in 
the west ; especially is this the case at Sioux Falls, where 
there is a fall of 110 feet in about half a mile. When this is 
improved it will furnish power to run a number of flouring 
mills, besides other manufactories. There are now a number 
of large mills in successful operation on this stream, and yet, 
there are dozens of splendid sites for mills yet to be improved, 
where a mill would have all the work it could do as soon as 
completed. 

The Vermillion river rises in Lake Thompson, Wood coun¬ 
ty, is about one hundred and eight miles long, runs south 
parallel with the Big Sioux river, at the farthest point only 
about twenty-five miles from that stream, and empties into 
the Missouri river. It is fed by numerous small streams 
which drain large scopes of country, besides carrying into it 
the surplus water of a large number of lakes. There are four 
flouring mills operating successfully on this stream, and yet 
there are a number of good locations for mills awaiting im¬ 
provement. 

Dakota or James river rises in the north part of the terri¬ 
tory, runs south and empties into the Missouri about twenty- 
five miles above the mouth of the Vermillion. It is, with the 
exception of the Missouri and the Yellowstone, (which latter 
just barely enters the territory,) the longest river in Dakota, 
it being about 330 miles long in a direct line. It has a num¬ 
ber of quite large tributaries beside many large lakes to feed 
it, and keeps up a good flow of water the whole time. It will 
furnish a number of water powers for mills and other manu- 


DAKOTA. 


9 


factories. There is one mill in operation, and two now being 
constructed, while there are many good locations awaiting 
the coming of some person with capital to improve them. 

West of the Missouri there are a great number of quite large 
rivers. The largest of these is the Yellowstone, which rises 
in the mountain ranges, runs northeast, just touching Dako¬ 
ta, and empties into the Missouri river. This stream is nav¬ 
igable for large sized steamers for a great many miles into 
Montana. 

The next river in size is the Big Cheyenne, one branch of 
which rises northwest of the Black Hills, passes round the 
base north of the hills to the east, while the other branch 
rises southwest and passes round the south base of the hills 
to the east side, w 7 here it forms a junction with the north, 
branch, from which point it flows almost east, being fed by 
numerous smaller streams on both sides, and empties into the 
Missouri river. 

The next river in size is the Little Missouri which rises just 
north of the Black Hills, runs nearly north and flows into 
the Missouri river. The White river comes next in size, rises 
in the northwest corner of Nebraska, runs a little north of 
east and empties into the Missouri. The Niobrara which 
forms the southern boundary of Dakota for a distance of 
about sixty miles, rises in the eastern part of Wyoming, runs 
east and flows into the Missouri. These are only the largest 
of the streams in the western and southwestern part of Da¬ 
kota, or what is known as the Sioux Indian reservation.— 
There are many more streams, but on occount of the country 
never having been explored to any extent, they are not named 
and but little is known of them, only that they drain large 
extents of country and carry off large quantities of water. 

The Red River of the North takes its rise in Lake Traverse, 
runs north and forms the eastern boundary of Dakota for a 
distance of 200 miles, and is navigable in high water to Wah- 
peton, in Richland county, and during the entire summer to 
Fargo. A regular line of good steamers ply at all times of 
summer between Fargo, Dakota, and Fort Garry, Manitoba, 
carrying immense amounts of freight and a large number oft* 
passengers both ways. It is fed by a great number of quite 
large streams on both sides; among those on the Dakota side 


10 


DAKOTA. 


we might mention are the Wild Rice, Sheyenne, Elm, Goose, 
Grand Coule, Coven, Turtle, Salt, Park and Pembina. On 
all these streams there is considerable good timber and large 
bodies of splendid timber line the banks of the Red river, al¬ 
most the entire distance. The’valley of the Red river is about 
40 miles wide, running the entire length of the river in Dako¬ 
ta, and for soil and advantages for agriculture, and for water 
and grass for stock raising, it is equal if not superior to any 
part of the west, and offers the very best of inducements to 
persons seeking a home in the west. There are a number of 
towns springing up on the Red river, the most important of 
which, at the present time, is Fargo, the county seat of Cass 
county; Pembina, the county seat of Pembina county; Grand 
Forks, the county seat of Grand Forks county ; Wahpeton, 
the county seat of Richland county, and Goose River, the 
county seat of Traill county. 

NORTHERN DAKOTA. 

Pembina, D. T., January 3d, 1876. 

Hon. Fred. J. Cross, 

Superintendent of Immigration , Yankton, D. T .: 

Sir: —As your forthcoming published description of Dako¬ 
ta territory, for the purpose of inducing immigration thereff), 
will probably soon be issued, and in pursuance of your re¬ 
quest, I desire to give you for insertion therein a brief descrip¬ 
tion of that portion of the extreme northeast portion of Da¬ 
kota lying in the valley of the Red River of the North, the 
southern part of which has within the last three or four years 
come quite prominently into notice as a good agricultural 
country through the St. Paul & Pacific and Northern Pacific 
railroad companies, as is evidenced by the rapid settlement 
of Richland, Cass, Barnes, Traill and Grand Forks counties, 
and the thriving and prosperous towns of Wahpeton, Fargo, 
Jamestown, Grand Forks and others. The soil in this valley 
—an extent of county 40x200 miles in Dakota territory—is 
second to none, being specially adapted to wheat and other 
small grains, vegetables and stock raising. It is capable of 
sustaining a population of 100,000 people, and raising wheat 
enough to nearly supply the world. In an" ordinary season, 
wheat will yield from 25 to 50 bushels per acre ; oats from 50 
to 70, while the quantity and quality of vegetables that can 
be produced here from a given area, is remarkable. The val¬ 
ley is well watered by numerous small tributaries to the Red 
river, viz : Wild.Rice, Elm, Goose, Turtle, Salt, Park, Tongue 
and Pembina rivers. The heads of these streams particularly 


DAKOTA. 


11 


are well timbered, and the water pure and sweet. The north¬ 
ern portion of this valley has not as yet come as prominently 
to the notice of home seekers as the southern part on account 
of distance from railroads and lack of advertising mediums. 
The northern part of Grand Forks county and Pembina 
county are undoubtedly the best timbered portions ; at least 
one-sixth of the area of Pembina county is timbered land, 
comprising a dozen varieties of timber, suitable for all pur¬ 
poses. Tnis county is also probably the best stock raising 
portion of northeastern Dakota ; the timber and brush lands 
affording fine sheltered sitations, and the prairies an abun¬ 
dance of splendid grazing and hay lands. Climate is good 
and healthy—no malarious diseases. Winters, though cold 
and protracted, are dry and bracing ; the entire snow-fall 
rarely exceeds 12 inches. Land traffic and travel is done en¬ 
tirely with sleds for a peried of about four months during the 
winter season. The rain fall during the summer of 1875, as 
taken from the records of the United States signal service ob¬ 
server, was as follows : 


INCHES. 

May.1.87 

June.3.88 

July.1.18 

August.2.16 

September.0.92 

October.1.26 


Total.11.68 


During the past season about 400 acres of wheat were raised 
in Pembina county, the average yield being fully 35 bushels 
to the acre of fine wheat ; some fields averaging as high as 
50 bushels per acre. Wheat is now finding a ready market 
at $1.25 per bushel ; oats, $1.10; barley, $1.10 ; potatoes, $1; 
peas, $2 ; and all other farm products in proportion. 

The village of Pembina, located on Red river, at the mouth 
of Pembina river, and near the International boundary, is 
the county seat of Pembina county ; it is a growing town with 
good future prospects, and will be a place of considerable im¬ 
portance in a few years, being the port of transfer of the en¬ 
tire trade between the British Possessions and the United 
v States. Artisans and tradesmen of all kinds can find good 
openings in the Red river valley for establishing permanent 
and paying business and employment. Immigrants and 
farmers can find as good, if not better, locations in this sec¬ 
tion of country than in any other part of the northwest. 

Very Respectfully, 

Wm. R. Goodfellow, 
County Agent , etc., Pembina county , D. T. 










12 


DAKOTA. 


TIMBER. 

Along most of the streams there is generally some timber, 
but not always. The principal part of the timber in southern 
Dakota, is along the Missouri river, which consists of soft 
maple, cottonwood, oak, ash, hackberry, elm, and some black 
walnut. Along the Big Sioux, there is considerable timber. 
■Some good sized bodies of timber are found along the Ver¬ 
million and James rivers ; but they are isolated and general¬ 
ly several miles apart. Some very fine bodies of timber are 
found in ravines that make down from the rolling prairies 
to the streams or bottom lands. On many of the lakes there 
is considerable timber. The Black Hills, lying in the south¬ 
western portion of the Territory, are covered with a heavy 
growth of good pine timber. This country is now held as 
the Sioux Indian reservation, but soon will be opened, when 
plenty of good pine lumber will be shipped into southern 
Dakota, cheap. At present pine lumber is shipped here from 
the mills at Minneapolis and sold very reasonable, as it can 
be shipped right through by rail without change of cars. 

The general government has made a very good provision 
to encourage the cultivation of forest trees, by the donation 
of a quarter section of land to persons who will plant and 
cultivate timber. The general provisions of this act will be 
found on another page of this pamphlet. Forest trees can 
be cultivated as easily as corn. Plenty of small cottonwoods 
one to two years old can be had on the sand bars along the 
Missouri, where they may be pulled up by hand. Any quan¬ 
tity of soft maple, box-elder and ash seed can be gathered. 
This seed can be planted in drills and the second year taken 
up and transplanted as required. Cottonwood is one of the 
most rapid growing trees known ; it will grow in five years 
from the size of a whip to a tree twenty to twenty-five feet 
high ; and in a few years furnish wood enough to supply a 
family with fuel. Settlers who have been here a few years, 
and who paid proper attention to setting out trees, when they 
first settled, have now nice groves of thrifty timber, which 
add much to the beauty and comfort of their places. 

FUEL. 

People in those parts of the east that are favored to a little 
greater extent than the west is, are liable to form an errone- 


DAKOTA. 


13 * 

ons idea on the fuel question. Wood is as cheap in Dakota 
as it is in any of the states, and is selling on the streets of 
our towns at $4.00 per cord for cottonwood, and $6.00 per 
cord for good body hard wood. Coal is brought by rail from 
Fort Dodge, Iowa, and sold by the dealers at the railroad 
stations for $7.00 per ton, while hard coal sells at $17.00 per 
•ton. No coal has yet been found in southern Dakota, but we 
are assured by persons who understand the location of coal,, 
that there is coal here at no great depth, without a doubt; but 
as yet there has been no effort made to discover it. At Ponca r 
on the opposite side of the Missouri, a vein of a foot in thick¬ 
ness has been found ; and on the Big Sioux, on the Iowa side, 
thin layers of coal have been found, but it has never been 
prospected to any extent. On the Missouri river and other 
streams, a few hundred miles above here, large veins of good 
coal crop out; and should coal not be found in southern Da¬ 
kota, it is only a matter of a little time when railroads will 
be crowding ahead into that country to bring forward its 
known mineral wealth, and coal will be brought to southern 
Dakota at prices much below what it can be had in many of 
the eastern states. There is enough timber found along the 
streams to furnish fuel for a number of years for a much lar¬ 
ger number of settlers than are now here, and by exercising 
a little care to keep the fires out of it, it will all the time in¬ 
crease ; beside, the settlers are planting timber to a great ex¬ 
tent, and a few years will see a large increase of timber in the 
country, each farmer having his own beautiful grove which 
will furnish him his fuel, without subjecting him to the incon¬ 
venience of going off from his own land to get his wood. 

STOXE 

For building purposes is found in most parts of southern 
Dakota. A superior quality of building stone is found at 
Sioux Falls and Dell Rapids on the Sioux river ; at the Pali¬ 
sades on the Split Rock, one of -the branches of the Sioux, 
and at Rockport and vicinity on the James river. This is a 
very hard stone of a reddish cast, and called by some Sioux 
Quartzite. At Gary, Duel county, on the line of the Winona 
& St. Peter railroad, is found large ledges of splendid lime¬ 
stone, from which Capt. Herrick, the pioneer of that section 
of country, is making quite a business of burning lime and 


14 


DAKOTA. 


shipping by railroad. At Yankton, Bon Homme, Spring- 
field, and other points on the Missouri river, is found large 
ledges of magnesian limestone, which is quarried very easily, 
and sawed into any required size or shape, and used quite 
extensively for building purposes. Limestone boulders, or 
drift rock, are found on the prairies, which make a good 
quality of lime, and furnishes all of that material that is 
needed for building purposes. The prairies are not generally 
stony, but enough boulders or drift rock is found to build 
foundations for buildings, wall up wells, etc. 

CLAY 

Of a good quality for the manufacture of brick has been 
found in every part of the Territory, where an effort in this 
direction has been made. The manufacture of brick is made 
quite profitable by many persons who are engaged in that 
business. Good substantial brick buildings are taking the 
place of wooden buildings in many of the towns. 

WHEAT. 

Dakota seems peculiarly adapted to the raising of wheat. 
According to Blodgett, the author of a very able work on the 
climatolog}^ of the United States, the thermal capacity re¬ 
quired for the successful cultivation of wheat, is a mean tem¬ 
perature of from 62 to 65 degrees during the growing months. 
It will be found by referring to the table in another part of 
this book, that this territory has a considerable excess of the 
temperature required. An important feature in the soil of 
Dakota is that its earthy materials are minutely pulverized, 
and the soil is everywhere light, mellow and spongy. The 
wheat raised in Dakota makes a quality of flour almost equal 
to the best winter wheat, and is sold in the eastern markets 
at a price only a trifle less. This superiority having become 
known to the millers east, much of the crop of the past sea¬ 
son has been bought by them here, and shipped direct to the 
mills. The soundness and fullness of the grain, is unmista¬ 
kably indicated by the fact that it commands a higher price 
than any western state grain, when it goes to market unmix¬ 
ed and well cleaned. Wheat is sown generally in March, 
and harvest commences about the 15th to the 20th of July ; 
yields 15 to 45 bushels per acre. This great difference in the 


DAKOTA. 


15 


yield is chiefly owing to the manner in which the grain is 
put in. 

RYE 

Has not been raised to any great extent ; but where it has 
Deen tried it has done very well, yielding well and proving a 
/ery profitable crop. 

OATS 

Are generally sown the first part of April, and yield 50 to 
75 bushels per acre, of a superior quality, weighing from 35 
to 45 pounds to the measured bushel; being a very profitable 
crop for the farmer to raise. 

BARLEY 

Is sown in April, is a sure crop; yields 35 to 45 bushels 
per acre. The dryness of the atmosphere being very favor¬ 
able, the grain is generally of a good quality. 

FLAX 

Has not been raised to any extent until the past season, 
when considerable was sown, The soil and climate seem 
well adapted to raising it, and as soon as the mills are built 
to manufacture the seed into oil, this will be a profitable crop 
to raise, as the yield is large and a splendid quality. It is a 
profitable crop to raise to ship the seed to eastern manu¬ 
facturers; but no doubt by the time another crop is ready 
there will be mills built ready to work it up. 

CORN. 

The corn producing belt of country which runs through 
Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, extends northwest through Iowa, 
up the valley of the Missouri, through Dakota. According 
to Blodgett, the thermal capacity required for the successful 
cultivation of Indian corn is a mean temperature of 67 de¬ 
grees for July, and it may go a little beyond 67 for the sum¬ 
mer. By referring to the table giving the mean temperature 
of this part of the Territory, it is found that the mean tem¬ 
perature for the month of July, 1874, was 78.2 degrees; an 
excess of 11.2 degrees; and for July, 1875, it was 71.8 degrees; 
an excess of 4.8 degrees. Corn until the past season had been 
a neglected crop, but last spring there was more than double 
the acreage planted of any former year, and the yield was 
largely in excess of the anticipations of all, proving that this 


16 


DAKOTA. 


section is well adapted to the raising of corn. Corn is gen¬ 
erally planted about the 15th of May. The seasons are favor¬ 
able and plenty long enough to allow it to mature perfectly, 
as we hardly ever have frost until about the 15th or 20th of 
September. The past season we had no frost to hurt vege¬ 
tation until the 11th of October. The richness and warm 
nature of the soil crowd corn ahead very fast and to an enor¬ 
mous height, 12 to 16 feet high being quite common, and 
yielding 50 to 75 bushels per acre acre. 

BROOM CORN. 

For the cultivation of this most profitable crop no place 
can be found better adapted than the rich bottom lands of 
Dakota. Many the past season have made a commencement 
in the cultivation of broom corn, and have met with perfect 
success, in raising large crops and of a superior quality. We 
are told by persens who are judges of the article and have 
made it*a study, that they never saw a better article than that 
raised in Dakota the past season. 

SORGHUM. 

The rich, light, warm soil of Dakota seems well adpted to 
the growing of sorghum. There is not much raised yet, for 
the reason that there are no mills or factories, where the 
people can get it worked up, there being as yet only a few 
small mills, owmed by farmers, who do not manufacture much 
more than their own. A few, good factories if established 
here would find plenty of business. 

POTATOES, ETC., 

Yield large crops, usually 100 to 200 bushels per acre and 
of an excellent quality. Beets, turnips, cabbage, etc., grow 
to an enormous size. 

BREAKING. 

The time to break prairie sod is from the 20th of May to 
about the 20th of July; the difference in the seasons might 
make a few days difference one way or the other. To insure 
a large yield it should be cross plowed early in the fall, but 
many sow wheat right on the breaking the next spring and 
get a fair yield. Many farmers plant sod corn on the land 
broken in May and June, and often get a fair crop. It is 
not much labor to plant corn on the sod as it never requires 


DAKOTA. 


17 


any working and is always sure to produce feed enough to 
pay well for the labor. A good team of horses or oxen with 
a 12 inch plow, will break one to two acres a day on the table 
land where the sod is not too heavy. The breaking is all the 
labor necessary to start a farm here on the prairies. Persons 
who are not prepared to break their own land, can hire it 
done at $2 to $4 per acre. 

FRUIT. 

The people in the older settled counties are just commencing 
to plant fruit trees, and from appearances we feel safe in pre¬ 
dicting that it will not be long before Dakota will be able to 
show a fruit product that will compare quite favorably with 
many parts of the east, or older settled parts of the country. 
It is only a matter of time, and a little experiment, to find 
what varieties are best suited to the soil and climate, as it has 
been in ail countries when first settling. Wild fruits such as 
plums, grapes, mulberries, gooseberries and raspberries grow 
in great profusion, and of an excellent quality, here. At the 
Union County Fair, 1875, there was exhibited some very fair 
samples of apples raised in that county, it being the oldest 
settled county in southern Dakota. The people are com¬ 
mencing to turn their attention to the cultivation of fruit, and. 
from present appearances will soon have sufficient for their 
own use. 

STOCK RAISING. 

For persons wishing to engage in this branch of business 
Dakota offers inducements equal, if not superior, to any part 
of the west. Those with capital can here secure large tracts 
of land on streams or lakes, and can have their own land for 
range and hay. Persons with small capital, who may wish 
to combine farming and stock raising, can here, by using the 
three rights which every settler has, viz: Homestead, pre¬ 
emption and timber culture, secure 480 acres of land at a cost 
in money of only $238. This will give plenty of land for 
farming, range for stock, and plenty of land for hay. Any 
person who would bring to this country at this time some 
good thorough bred stock would make, if not a fortune, at 
least the best paying investment possible to be made with 
money, for the people are beginning to turn their attention 
to improving their stock. The dryness of the atmosphere,, 
2 


18 


DAKOTA. 


total absence of rain or sleet in winter, and the very light falls 
of snow, (the whole snow fall during the worst winters being 
not over a foot in depth, and often none,) makes this one of 
the best places for sheep raising in the west; and those who 
have engaged in the business are meeting with perfect success. 

HERD LAW. 

On account of the scarcity of timber suitable for fencing, 
and having at that time no direct railroad communication 
with the lumber producing districts of Minnesota and Wis¬ 
consin, and to encourage the settlement of interior counties 
containing no heavy bodies of timber, the legislature of 1870- 
71, passed an act termed a “ Herd Law,” and now all stock 
are kept in fenced pastures or are herded through the day 
and kept in a yard at night. Cultivated lands are not fenced. 
Therefore persons with small means are enabled to commence 
farming here without being to the expense of fencing, which 
is a great saving. 

MARKETS. 

Dakota has a good home market which is caused by the 
large number of immigrants who are constantly arriving, and 
are in a great measure for the first year consumers and not 
producers to any extent, and have to buy their provisions 
besides hundreds of bushels of grain to sow to produce their 
first crop. Besides this, there is a great amount of provisions 
of all kinds required at the Indian agencies and forts on the 
Missouri, which is a market not to be found in other parts of 
the west. The surplus, over and above supplying all these 
demands, seeks an eastern market, of which Dakota has a 
choice of St. Paul, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago, as 
we have direct railroad connection with each of them. A great 
part of the surplus of Dakota’s wheat, from its superior qual¬ 
ity, goes direct to large mills. Minneapolis, Minnesota ; 
Kankakee, Illinois, and other large mills at the east have 
bought large quantities of wheat here in our markets to sup¬ 
ply their mills this year. 

CLIMATE, ETC. 

The following tables, showing the temperature and rain 
fall, was procured from the records of the United States signal 
service observer at Yankton, Dakota : 


DAKOTA. 


19 


YEAR. 

MeanTemperature 

13 

w 

CO 

-2 

a> 

5 

Greatest Cold. 

Inches ot Rain or 

Melted Snow. 

Number of days 
Rain or Snow fell. 

YEAR . 

MeanTemperat ure 

03 

33 

CC 

o 

CD 

o 

2 

o 

o 

C/5 

<o 

<v 

6 

Inches of Rain or 

Melted Snow. 

1 Number of days 

iRain or Snow tell. 

1874. 

Deg’s 1 

| lothsi 

M 

4J0 

o> 

G 

35 

* 

w> 

Q 

! 100th 


1873. 

OC 

o 

Q 

| SlUOl I 

V) 

s 

Q 

•5° 

fcfi 

Q 

& 

A 

+a 

| 

January. 

15 

6 

52 

*20 


57 

8 

January . 


6 

32 

*25 

1 

07 

14 

February. 

18 

8 

58 

*4 


65 

4 

February. 

2 

5 

31 

*22 

1 

51 

16 

March . 

30 

6 

58 

7 


79 

4 

March. 

23 


72 

*12 

1 

79 

12 

April. 

44 

4 

89 

92 

15 


24 

2 

April. 

40 

4 

82 

17 

5 

26 

10 

May . 

64 

5 

35 

2 

59 

10 

May. 

51 

2 

89 

24 

2 

04 

10 

June. 

70 

7 

94 

44 

6 

65 

14 

J une. 

66 

1 

92 

42 

9 

21 

9 

July. 

78 

2 

97 

54 

3 

84 

12 

July. 

71 

8 

93 

52 

5 

53 

9 

A ngu«st. 

74 

2 

101 

50 

30 

4 

05 

11 

August. 

68 

3 

87 

45 

4 

95 

11 

September.... 

61 

7 

j 95 

1 

74 

18 

September.... 

50 

5 

89 

31 

5 

33 

9 

Coluber. 

40 

4 

85 

16 

1 

64 

7 

October. 

74 

2 

87 

18 


14 

3 

November. 

30 

4: 

7i 

0 


56 

7 

November.... 

28 

9 

65 

*15 


12 

5 

December. 

23 

0 

56 

*14 


51 

6 

December.... 

27 

35 

62 

*15 


20 

4 


♦Below zero. 

We have procured and publish the foregoing tables to show 
to persons who may be looking to the west with a view to 
selecting a location for a future home, that Dakota is not a 
parched and dried up country, as is erroneously supposed 
by many who have not had the chance to investigate the 
matter properly. The reader will notice that the greatest 
amount of rain falls in the months when vegetation is grow¬ 
ing, and is needed, which is from April to September, the 
most falling at the very time when crops need it the most for 
maturing them. Snows are very light, the whole fab for an 
entire winter not exceeding twelve inches, and occasionally 
none the whole winter. The atmosphere is very dry, and 
with the temperature as low as 25 degrees below zero, a per¬ 
son that is out will not feel the cold as much as he w^ould in 
the eastern states when the temperature was 8 or 10 degrees 
below zero. The summers are very pleasant, and although 
the temperature may rise to 100 and 108 degrees in the shade, 
as it occasionally does, yet it is seldom sultry on account of 
a light breeze which generally rises about 9 o’clock, A. M. 

As regards health, Dakota has no superior, the atmosphere 
being very (h'A and pure. Persons affected with consumption 
and diseases of the lungs by coming here find immediate re¬ 
lief, and often an effectual cure. Fever and ague is unknown, 
and cases of any kind of fever are very rare. Come to Da¬ 
kota if you wish to find a mild climate, dry and healthy win¬ 
ters, and save doctors’ bills. 
























































20 


DAKOTA. 


VACANT LANDS. 

There are thousands of acres of good land yet unoccupied 
and open to homestead, pre-emption and timber claims. It 
is not for us to tell an immigrant which is the best part to 
settle in, and could not if we wished to, for it is all good.— 
There is plenty of vacant land in most every ceunty, and per¬ 
sons coming to Dakota need have no fears but what they will 
be able to suit themselves and find a splendid place. 

COLONIES. 

Dakota offers good inducements to colonies. Here large 
tracts of unoccupied government land can be found in most of 
the counties where colonies can settle and form one unbroken 
settlement; form their own school district; assist each other 
in many ways, and in fact never hardly know or feel as 
though they were in a new place ; for they would have all 
their old associates around them. It is undoubtedly a good 
plan where there is a number of families or persons going 
from one section to go together, and settle together, but we 
do not advise uniting with a colony and placing property in 
common; that is apt to lead sooner or later to dissatisfaction. 

BLACK HILLS. 

This rich mineral region lies almost entirely in Dakota, 
about 285 miles west of Yankton, the terminus of the Dakota 
Souther# railroad. We are expected at this time of course 
to say something about this region and its great mineral 
wealth, but to do so would only be to re-publish what has 
been published by nearly every newspaper in the land.— 
Thousands of dollars worth of gold dust have been brought 
to Yankton within the past month, and exchanged for provi¬ 
sions and supplies. That there is gold, silver, lead, coal and 
iron in large quantities in that part of Dakota we think none 
can doubt, for it has been an acknowledged fact for years, as 
shown by the reports of Astor’s fur parties, in 1811; Captain 
Bonneville, in 1834 ; General Harney, in 1855 ; Dr. Hayden, 
in 1858-9 ; Gen. Sully, in 1864 ; Col. James Sawyer, in 1865 ; 
Lieut. General Sheridan in his report of 1874. Gen. Custer,, 
after exploring in 1874, and Professor Jenney, who was sent 
expressly by the government to explore the country in 1875, 
report it rich in gold ; besides the hundreds of miners, who 


DAKOTA. 


21 


have been there within the past year and are there now, all 
report rich mining. As an agricultural and grazing country 
we are assured by many that it will compare quite favorably 
in many of the beautiful valleys with any part of the west ; 
while timber of an excellent quality is abundant. It will be 
seen that aside from its great mineral wealth it has all that is 
necessary to make it an inviting spot for persons who do not 
wish to engage in mining as a business. Capt. Davy, feeling 
confident of the rich mineral deposits in the Black Hills ; in 
the year 1868, organized a large expedition to go there, but 
on account of its being a part of the Sioux Indian reserva¬ 
tion, the government forbid the expedition entering the coun¬ 
try, and it was abandoned. At the present time parties of 
mineis are going in from all directions and are not molested 
or stopped by the troops. 

The Missouri River Transportation Co., will carry passen¬ 
gers and freight going to the Hills, on their splendid, steam¬ 
ers at reasonable rates, from Yankton to any of the points 
on the Missouri river. Bismarck is also offering, through 
stage and freighting companies inducements to persons to go 
by the route starting from that place, and persons who may 
go that way need have no fears but what they will find some 
way for them to get through. Many places are setting up 
claims to being the nearest point, and on the most direct and 
best route to the Hills. To persons contemplating going to 
the Black Hills, rve would say that any of the routes that 
cross the Missouri between Yankton and Bismarck are by 
great odds the best for them to take. This will be perfectly 
clear to any person who will take the trouble to look at a 
map of the country for it will be seen that all the streams 
have their sources in the west and flow almost in a direct line 
east, emptying into the Missouri between these two points. 
All these streams have valleys which are almost level along 
them, which is a good natural route, the streams furnishing 
water for stock, while the valleys furnish an abundance of 
grass. Any of the routes from the south, starting on the 
Union Pacific side, have long stretches of sand hills, and 
plains, without grass, wood or water, and steep almost im¬ 
passable hills, deep canons and ravines which have to be 
crossed, making it a bad route for persons to take who care 
for speed, comfort, or their teams. 


22 


DAKOTA. 


RAILROADS. 

There is at present only four lines of railroad in the Terri¬ 
tory. The longest of which is the Northern Pacific, which 
enters Dakota at Fargo, a town of considerable importance, 
on the Red River of the North, and runs a little over half way 
across the Territory or a distance of about 200 miles, its west¬ 
ern terminus being Bismarck, a flourishing town on the Mis¬ 
souri river. This road will in course of time be built through 
to the Pacific, and will make one of the greatest thorough¬ 
fares in the United States. There are a number of towns along 
the line, among which we might mention Worthington, James¬ 
town and Crystal Springs. 

The next road in length is the Dakota Southern, with its 
eastern terminus at Sioux City. It enters Dakota about four 
miles west of that place, passing all the way for 60 miles 
through the well settled and beautiful Missouri valley, to 
Yankton, the capital of the Territory, which is at present its 
western terminus. There are many brisk towns and good 
business points on this line ; they are Elk Point, Vermillion, 
Jeflerson, (the junction of the Sioux City & Pembina railroad) 
Burbank, Meckling and Gay ville. This road is doing a heavy 
business and in the event of the opening of the Black Hills, 
it will be pushed through, and will be the outlet for the great 
mineral wealth of that section, besides being the mainline of 
travel for persons going to that mineral region. In fact its 
western terminus (Yankton) is by many miles the nearest 
railroad point to the Black Hills, and much the shortest and 
best route for persons from the east and south to take in going 
there. The AVinona & St. Peters railroad is completed for 
about 40 miles into Dakota; its western terminus being at 
Lake Kampeska, in Hamlin county. There being only a few 
settlers in the section of country through which this road 
passes, the company as yet do not run trains further west than 
Marshall, Minnesota, though the road is all completed. The 
Sioux City & Pembina railroad is now being completed. It 
forms a junction with the Dakota Southern railroad at Jeffer¬ 
son and running north crosses the Big Sioux river, and fol¬ 
lows the rich, well settled valley of the Sioux, and will recross 
the river to the Dakota side at Canton, and pass through 
Sioux Falls, Dell Rapids, Flandreau and Medary, all flour- 


DAKOTA. 


23 


isMng towns on the Sioux river; thence north and down the 
Red River of the North through that rich grazing and agri¬ 
cultural valley to its northern terminus, Pembina. The above 
constitute all the completed lines of railroad, but many others 
will soon be commenced. The Sioux City & St. Paul railroad 
company are building a branch road from Worthington to 
Sioux Falls, thirty miles of which is nearly completed, and 
will be extended southwest through the well settled and rich, 
farming counties of Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner and Yank¬ 
ton, to Yankton. This road will form the outlet for agricul¬ 
tural products of the country to Minneapolis, St. Paul and 
Milwaukee, and be a direct line for the shipment of lumber 
to this country. One other roalroad, (the St. Paul & Pacific) 
is completed to the eastern line of Dakota, its terminus being 
at Breckinridge, Minnesota, on the Red River of the North. 
Wahpeton, the county seat of Richland county, is situated on 
the west side of the river. This road forms a direct route 
from St. Paul for immigrants going to Richland county, or 
that part of Dakota. The St. Vincent extension of the St. 
Paul & Pacific, having for its northern terminus Pembina the 
county seat of Pembina county, on the Red River of the 
North, is nearly completed, and the coming summer will be 
entirely completed and running to Pembina, and will be a 
direct route for immigrants going to that part of Dakota. 

Other lines of roads are being pushed forward through the 
states of Iowa and Minnesota, some of which have good land 
grants in those states, and their early completion is a cer¬ 
tainty. These roads will cross our Territory from east to 
west, having in view different points on the Missouri river, to 
secure the heavy freighting of government supplies which 
seeks that stream to be distributed by boats to the different 
Forts and Indian Agencies; or to crowd still further and into 
the rich mining regions lying to the west. These great attrac¬ 
tions lying to the west of the agricultural portion of Dakota, 
insures to the eastern portion of the Territory many good 
lines of road by which to ship their grain, not only to the 
eastern market, but also to the forts and non-producing min¬ 
ing regions to the west, which are all the time steadily in¬ 
creasing. Dakota will be thus placed in a position to choose 
its market. It is only a matter of a little time, when in east- 


24 


DAKTOA. 


ern Dakota it will be almost impossible to get out of tbe reach 
of the sound of the whistle of the “iron horse,” even where 
to-day it is one vast uninhabited country, awaiting the com¬ 
ing of some poor landless immigrant to take his 100 acres as 
a free gift and have a home. 

SCHOOLS. 

The school laws of Dakota are similar to those of many of 
the states, and provides for the support of free schools. The 
property is assessed for the support of the schools in the same 
manner as other taxes are assessed. A title to the public 
lands can only be acquired by actual settlement in Dakota, 
therefore' the settlements are very compact, making it easy to 
form school districts; and no settler will be very far from the 
school. Good district schools are to be found in all the set¬ 
tled portions of the Territory. And the country is being set¬ 
tled so very fast, that should a person for the purpose of 
selecting a choice location, go a little outside of the line of 
settlement, he would not have long to live there ere he would 
be surrounded by other settlers, when a school district would 
be organized. Dakota when it becomes a state will have a 
large school fund created by the sale of the lands which were 
reserved by the general government for school purposes, there 
being two sections of these lands (sections 16 and 36) in each 
township. 

RESIGIOUS SOCIETIES. 

The Methodist, Congregational, Baptist, Lutheran, Episco¬ 
palian and Catholic denominations, have services in all the 
towns, besides in nearly every school district or settlement 
there are regular services held each Sabbath, and generally 
good well attended Sabbath schools are kept in connection 
with most of the churches. Good churches are found in all 
the towns and others are being built. 

SOCIETY. 

The society will compare favorably with any section of 
country. Not as supposed by some persons in the east, that 
society in a new country must of necessity be in a disorderly 
state, and lawlessness reign. Here we have people from nearly 
every eastern state; educated, refined and moral people, just 
fresh from the best society east, who have come here intending 


DAKOTA. 


25 


to made a home, and are interested in building up good 
society, schools and churches, who encourage every enterprise 
having a moral tendency. ■ 

TAXES. 

The matter of high or low taxes is a great question to per¬ 
sons seeking a home in the west, and it is an important ques¬ 
tion too, when we consider that the taxes in some parts of the 
west are about equal to the highest rate of interest allowed by 
law, in some of the eastern states. Persons settling in coun¬ 
ties or states, which are so deeply in debt, or, that are so 
loosely managed that it is necessary to levy such high taxes, 
are taking, or purchasing land, which is subject to worse than 
a mortgage. And to settle in a country where the counties 
are allowed to contract debts, and issue warrants of the county 
in any sum, without regard to the amount of the assessment 
made in that year; they are placing themselves where they 
are liable to be burdened by taxes, that they will find it hard 
on a new farm, in a new country to meet. Taxes in Dakota 
are very light. In only two counties are they as high as two 
percent.; in other counties, are from six to fifteen mills, 
mostly at eight mills on the dollar of valuation. Property is 
valued very low, on an average about one-third its value. 
One reason why taxes are so very low in Dakota is because 
the government pays the salaries of all the federal officers, 
the expense of the legislature, and most of the expense of the 
courts. Another reason for the low taxes is, that we have a 
law in our Territory which prohibits the officers of counties 
from issuing any bonds or warrants amounting in the aggre¬ 
gate to a sum larger than county tax levied for the year in 
which they are issued, unless the county commissioners shall 
be first authorized by a majority of the legal voters of said 
, county, at any election when the proposition shall be sub¬ 
mitted to them, and all warrants drawn for a larger amount 
than is authorized by law the commissioners are personally 
liable for. 

INVESTMENTS. 

To persons wishing to invest money inland for speculation, 
or persons of moderate means who may wish to engage in 
agricultural pursuits, Dakota at this time offers inducements 
superior to any other part of the west. The very best of 


26 


DAKOTA. 


farming lands are selling at from $3 to $10 per acre in good 
settlements, near schools and thriving towns. The same land 
in a few years will sell readily for $20 to $30 per acre. Land 
at present is very cheap, but soon with the continued great 
rush of immigration, the government lands will be further re¬ 
moved from where the settlements now are, and prices will ad¬ 
vance. The reason land is so low, or that there is considera¬ 
ble land offered for sale, is not because farming is unprofita¬ 
ble here; but because government land can be had as yet 
within a few miles. And many a pioneer will sell his beau¬ 
tiful home, for the sake of getting out of the thick settlement; 
while others come, as many do with small capital, or none at 
all, as is often the case, get a little start in the world and 
think they see a fortune within their grasp, and lose sight of 
the maxim “make haste slowly,” branched out largely, 
bought too much machinery because they could get it on time, 
borrowed money at high rate of interest, mortgaged their 
land and now offer it low to save a little to commence on an¬ 
other new piece of government land which they can find by 
going a little further back. 

WHAT SHALL WE BRING? 

This question is asked repeatedly, and it is rather a hard 
question to answer; for there is such a great difference in the 
circumstances of people emigrating. Often it is the case that 
times are hard, money scarce, and articles a little worn but of 
real value can only be disposed of at a great sacrifice, often 
not one-fourth the real value. Wlmn this is the case it might 
be well to ship such thing by railroad. Freights are high, 
therefore emigrants will have to make their own calculations. 
Beds and bedding should be brought; these ere things that 
would be the hardest to procure here. Furniture, stoves, 
hardware and all kinds of agricultural implements can be 
bought here about as cheap as any part of the states. Dry 
goods, clothing and groceries are about the same prices as in 
the east. Where a number of persons are starting from the 
same place, it is often advisable to charter a car, in this way 
many articles that would be of great use to persons when 
here might be shipped at a trifling cost. 


DAKOTA. 


27 


WHEN TO START. 

This depends on liow immigrants intend to come. If by 
railroad it is best to come as early as April, so as to have 
time to buy teams; select land, and if you decide to settle on 
government land to build a small house before breaking sea¬ 
son; for breaking must be done so as to be ready for seeding 
for the second year. Many break up a small piece early, and 
make a garden which is a great help to a family in a new 
country; also potatoes may be planted under the sod; a small 
piece thus planted will yield enough to supply a family. 

If immigrants wish to come with their own teams and wag¬ 
ons, as many do, they should not start until the roads are in 
proper condition for traveling, and can get here by the first 
or middle of June, so as to do some breaking. Many rent an 
improved farm and raise a crop sufficient to support the fam¬ 
ily, and raise their seed grain for their own land. 

This is a good plan as the settler will have plenty of time 
to build, and break, so the second year he is ready to ga 
ahead on his own land. Plenty of farms can be rented very 
reasonable, the renter receiving two-thirds of the crop. Many 
charter a car and load their goods and team in the same car. 
This under some circumstances is a good plan, as it enables a 
person to come earlier in the season, and on his arrival his 
team is in a good condition to go right to work A few days 
or weeks in the the spring makes a great difference to a per¬ 
son when just making a start on a new farm. 

HOW TO REACH DAKOTA. 

Immigrants going to southern Dakota can go by the Illi- 
nnis Central railroad to Sioux City ; Chicago & Northwestern 
railroad to Sioux city ; St. Paul & Sioux City to Sioux City. 

Each of the above roads connect at Sioux City at the same 
depot with the Dakota Southern railroad. The Dakota 
Southern connects at Elk Point with Howard’s daily line of 
stages for Eden, Fail-view, Beloit, Canton and Sioux Falls, 
and all points on the Big Sioux river. At Vermillion with 
Demming & Shurtleff’s stages to Bloomingdale, Lodi, Biver- 
side, Centerville, Turner and Finlay, and all points in the 
Vermillion valley. At Yankton with Demming & Shurtleff’s 
daily line of stages to Swan Lake, Finlay, Wall Lake and 


28 


DAKOTA. 


Sioux Falls ; Dakota Central Stage Company’s daily line of 
stages to Scotland, Olivet, Milltown, Rockport, Rosedale and 
Firesteel, and all points in central Dakota ; Edgar & Com¬ 
pany’s daily stages to Bon Homme, Springfield,, Fort Ran¬ 
dall, Fort Thompson, to Fort Sully and all points on the 
Missouri river. Also in summer with the Missouri River 
Transportation Company's line of splendid freight and pas¬ 
senger steamers to Fort Benton, Montana, and all intermedi¬ 
ate points on the Missouri river. 

At Worthington, Minnesota; Sibley and Le Mars, Iowa, 
and all intermediate stations on the St. Paul & Sioux City 
railroad, stages run to Sioux Falls, Canton, Eden and all 
other points in the Sioux valley. 

Railroad Route to Duel and Hamlin counties and the Upper 
Sioux Valley .—From Chicago via. Chicago & Northwestern 
(Elroy route) to Lake Kampeska. At Marshal, on this road, 
stages run to Medary, Flandreau, and other points on the 
Big Sioux river. 

Railroad Route to the Upper Red River Valley. —From St. 
Paul via. St. Paul & Pacific to Breckinridge, Minnesota, on 
the Red River, where it connects with stages to all parts of 
Richland county, Dakota—Walipeton, the county seat of 

Richland county beiug on the west bank of the river opposite 
Breckinridge. 

Route to Central Dalcota and the Red River Valley. —From 
St. Paul via. Northern Pacific railroad to Fargo, Worthing¬ 
ton, Jamestown and Bismarck. At Fargo connections are 
made with stages to Grand Forks, Pembina, and all points 
in the Red River valley ; and in summer with good steamers 
which touch at all towns on the Red River. 


newspapers. 


In Dakota there are at present eighteen newspapers pub¬ 
lished. We give below their address and terms of publica¬ 
tion, and advise any one wishing information, to subscribe 
for one or more of them. Sample copies will be sent by the 
Superintendent of Immigration. 


Terms. 

Press and Dakotaian, Yankton, Yankton co., (Daily) $10 00 
“ “ “ “ (Weekly) 2 00 

Dakota Herald, Yankton, Yankton county.. 2 00 

Freie Presse, (German), Yankton, Yankton county.... 2 00 

Independent, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county. 2 00 

Pantagraph, “ “ “ “ . 2 00 





DAKOTA. 29 * 

Dakota Republican, Vermillion, Clay county. 2 00 

Clay County Register, “ (semi-weekly) 2 00 

Swan Lake Era, Swan Lake, Turner county. 2 00 

Union County Courier, Elk Point, Union county.2 00 

Springfield Times, Springfield, Bon Homme county.... 2 00 

Sioux Valley News, Canton, Lincoln county.2 00 

North Pacific Mirror, Fargo, Cass county. 2 00 

Fargo Express, Fargo, Cass county. 2 00 

Plaindealqt’, Grand Forks, Grand Forks county.2 00 

Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck, Burleigh county,.2 00 

Review and Sentinel, Emerson, Ma. and Pembina, D. T. 2 00 

Jim River Advocate, Firesteel, Dakota,. 2 00 


HOMESTEADS. 

Dakota has several million acres of good farming lands 
now open for homesteads or pre-emptions. The provisions 
of the homestead law are so well known to every one that but 
little need be said on this subject, Every citizen, (male or 
female) who is twenty-one years of age, or the head of a fam¬ 
ily, or who has served fourteen days in the military service 
of the United States, and every person who may have declar¬ 
ed his intention to become a citizen, is entitled to a homestead 
of 160 acres of prairie or timber land, upon the payment of 
$14 at the local land office, of which there are five in Dakota— 
one at Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county; one at Springfield, 
Bon Homme county; one at Yankton, Yankton county; one 
at Fargo, Cass county, and one at Bismarck, Burleigh county. 
After entering the land by payment of the fee aforesaid, and 
filing an application in the land office, describing the land 
claimed, the homesteader has six months in which to make 
his preparations to move on to the land if he chooses to wait, 
or he can go on immediately and erect his house and break 
land and occupy and improve the sai£ homestead in the same 
manner and with as much safety as if he had a patent for the 
same, provided he continues to reside upon and improve said 
land. At the expiration of five years from the date of his 
entry of said land by filing his application and paying $2, 
the homesteader is permitted to prove by two good witnesses 
that he has resided upon said land and made it his exclusive 
home since the time of his entry (or since his settlement upon 
the same,) and that he has cultivated at least five acres of 
land. The land officers then issue a certificate of such entry 
and proof which has the general effect of a warranty deed. 
In due course of time a patent issues, and the title to the land 
is perfect and complete. Any of the land officers, or the su¬ 
perintendent of immigration will cheerfully answer letters of 
inquiry on this subject, or upon the subject of “ soldiers* 
Homesteads.” It is proper to state in this connection, that 
if, after the homesteader has resided upon his claim for the 










30 


DAKOTA. 


space of six months and made the usual improvements there¬ 
on, he shall deem it for his interest to obtain a title to his 
land, he can do so by paying for the same at the rate of $1.25 
per acre, and the patent issues soon after, the same as in the 
ordinary five years’ homestead. Persons so paying for their 
lands are said to “ commute ” their homesteads—that is they 
pay $1.25 per acre for their land in lieu of residing upon the 
land until the expiration of live years. 

PRE-EMPTIONS. 

Every citizen, or person who has declared his intention to 
become a citizen, has a right to a pre-emption of 160 acres of 
government land. He may take both, a homestead and pre¬ 
emption, but cannot take but one at a tine. He must perfect 
the title to one cJaim, or abandon it altogether before he can 
take another. The pre-emptor pays $2.00 to the local land 
officers for filing his claim to the land lie may select, and must 
go immediately thereon and erect a dwelling and cultivate at 
least five acres. The size or the value of the house is not pre¬ 
scribed in the law nor the amount-of improvements to be made 
thereon. After a residence of six months or within two years 
and six months after the time of filing on said land, the * pre- 
emptor must make his proof of settlement and cultivation, 
and residence, and pay for the land at the rate of $1.25 per 
acre. The cost of improvements may not be over $100 in 
value, including breaking, the greatest stress being laid upon 
residence upon the land. Agricultural College Script can be 
used in payment for either homestead or p^e-emptions. No 
lands (except sections 16 and 36 of each township, which 
are reserved for school purposes,) are reserved in Southern 
Dakota; homesteaders and pre-emptors take their choice. 
Government lands cannot be obtained in Dakota except by 
homestead, pre-emption or under the timber culture act. 

soldiers’ homesteads. 

The greatest interest is manifested throughout the country 
in soldiers’ homesteads. It is hoped that the law will be so 
amended as to allow soldiers to enter a quarter section either 
in person or by an agent without the necessity of residing 
upon the land. The privileges, if any, conferred by the sob 
diers’ homestead law at present are not apparent. The fol¬ 
lowing are the directions for obtaining “ soldiers home¬ 
steads:” The soldier is entitled to enter a quarter section of 
land and obtain a patent therefor by living on said land one 
year, provided he has served four years in the army or navy 
of the United States. One years’ actual residence upon the 
land is absolutely necessary. If the soldier is entitled to a 
credit of less than four years for service, then lie must reside 
upon the land long enough to make it five years with the time 


DAKOTA. 


31 


of sucli service in the army. He will be allowed six months 
from the time of his entry to move upon the land and com¬ 
mence his improvements, but the six months so allowed and 
the one years actual residence and the balance in credit for 
army services, are the easiest terms now offered to soldiers. 
If the party desiring to locate a soldiers homestead, is not 
ready to move on the land immediately, or being a resident 
of an eastern state, does not wish to remove to the land locat¬ 
ed for the space of six months, and it is considered desirable 
to secure a particular piece of land to prevent its being taken 
by others, then an agent possessing a regular power of attor¬ 
ney, may file a “ declaration of intention ” for the non-resi¬ 
dent soldier, and the land will be retained for him for six 
months, at the expiration of which time the applicant must 
enter the land in person, or by attorney, and commence his 
improvements thereon. If, after the first application is made, 
the party fails to perfect his entry and subsequent occupancy 
of said land, it is considered voluntary abandonment of his 
claim, and debars him from the privilege of the law thereafter. 
A fee of one dollar each is allowed to both the register and 
receiver of the land office. The law does not regulate the fees 
or compensation of the agent or attorney. This must be ar¬ 
ranged between the applicant and the attorney. 

TIMBER CULTURE ON U. S. LANDS. 

Any person who is the head of a family, or is twenty-one 
years of age, is entitled to file on a quarter section of govern¬ 
ment land for the purpose of growing timber thereon, and if 
on any such quarter section they plant forty acres of timber 
within four or five years from the date of filing—the trees not 
more than twelve feet apart each way—and protect them dur¬ 
ing eight years, next succeeding the date of entry, they will 
be entitled to a patent for the land at the end of said time. 
They need not, however, prove up on said land until the end 
of thirteen years. The land may be held in addition to a 
homestead or pre-emption, and either adjoining it or de¬ 
tached. Actual settlement on land taken for timber culture 
is not required. Any person holding land under the home¬ 
stead law who, at the end of their third year, can show that 
they have cultivated during two years, at least one acre of 
timber for each and every sixteen acres of their homestead, 
will then receive a patent for said homestead. All lands ac¬ 
quired under the timber culture act are exempt from execution 
for debts contracted prior to the issuing of the patent there¬ 
for. The amount to be paid, at the time of filing on said land 
is $14; when final proof is made $4 more. To plant forty 
acres, twelve feet apart, will require about 12,300 trees. The 
Territory by its laws offers almost equal inducements, by ex¬ 
empting property from taxation, etc. 


BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION 


OF 


DAKOTA TERRITORY. 


FRED. J. CROSS, Sutft .Yankton, Yankton county. 

JACOB BRAUCH, Com'r, .Yankton, Yankton county. 

YALE P. TH1ELMAN, Com'r. .Swan Lake, Turner county. 

J. M. WAHL, Com'r. .Canton, Lincoln county. 

"STj.'ROBERTSrC'om’f . . 7.7 ... .Fargo, Cass county. 

-o- 

COUNTY AGENTS. 

<A. 0. Ringsrud, a. .Elk Point, Union county. 

R. M.-Rasmussen, .Vermillion, Clay county. 

W. S. Smith .Canton, Lincoln county. 

Chas! W. McDonald, _Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county. 

M. D. L. Pettigrew, .Flandreau, Moody county. 

Jesse A. Baker .Madison, Lake county. 

Rev. G. S. Codington, .Medary, Brookings county. 

Newton Edmunds, .Yankton, Yankton county. 

Rev. J. J. McIntire, .Finlay, Turner county. 

A. Zienert, .Bon Homme, Bon Homme county. 

Samuel A. Boyles, ..Olivet, Hutchinson county. 

Daniel Shearer, .Milltown, Armstrong county. 

Frank B. Foster, .Rockport, Hanson county. 

H. C. Green .Firesteel, Davison county. 

Wm. G. Santee, .Forestburg, Bramble county. 

J. J. Jackman, .Bismarck, Burleigh county. 

Hector Bruce, .Grand Forks, Grand Forks county. 

A. Sargent, .Caledonia, Traill county. 

W. R. Goodfellow, .Pembina, Pembina county. 

D. Wilmot Smith, .Wahpeton, Richland county. 

Merrick Moore, .Jamestown, Stutsman county. 

Col. L. D. Marsh,.W. 0 rthington, Barnes county. 

A. J. Harwood, .Fargo, Cass county. 

Capt. H. H. Herrick, .Gary, Duel county. 

D. B. Lovejoy, .Lake Kampeska, Hamlin county, via 

Gary, Duel county. 













































































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